The invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a component on a component carrier and a method for mounting a component in this type of mounting device.
Components frequently pass through a number of processing stations before they obtain their final form. Most of the time, the components are positioned in the processing stations by means of component carriers on which the components are fixed in advance in a mounting device.
The applicant's German patent application DE 10 2007 020 957 A1 discloses for example a mounting device for mounting a turbine blade on a component carrier by means of an adhesive bond. The component carrier has a mounting surface designed with a contour that is close to a rotor blade on which a radiation-hardenable adhesive is applied over a large surface.
This known solution makes very secure fixation of the turbine blade possible, however, because of the contoured design of the mounting surface, the component carrier is only able to be used for components that have a similar rotor blade geometry. Furthermore, when releasing the turbine blades from the component carrier, the rotor blade may inadvertently be damaged, because it is adhered to the mounting surface over a large surface.
As a result, to compensate for geometric deviations between a mounting surface of a component carrier and a component surface, spacer elements such as strips or rectangular solids are frequently used, which are positioned between the component carrier and the component and also adhered. However, these spacer elements are difficult to position in the case of certain component geometries such as, for example, spherically shaped component surfaces. Furthermore, because of the spacer elements, it is not possible to adjust an optimum adhesive gap.
The object of the present invention is creating a mounting device and a method for mounting a component on a component carrier by means of an adhesive, which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages, makes universal applicability possible with a plurality of component shapes, and in particular allows an optimum adjustment of an adhesive gap and a simple way to release the mounted component.
A mounting device according to the invention for mounting a component on a component carrier by means of an adhesive, e.g., a radiation-hardenable adhesive or a 2-component-based adhesive, has a plurality of adapters for positioning the component in relation to the component carrier, each of which is inserted into a respective guide of the component carrier and each of which has an adhesive surface for producing an adhesive bond with the component. The guided adapters allow geometric deviations between a mounting surface of the component carrier and an opposing component surface to be equalized so that it is always possible to adjust a locally optimum adhesive gap. The mounting surface no longer has to be designed so that its contour is close to the opposing component surface, thereby allowing the mounting device to be used with a plurality of components having different geometries. In this case, guidance of the adapters in the component carrier prevents the adapter from inadvertently displacing or shifting from its adjusted position. The adapters serve so to speak as individually controllable, moveable props or supports, which are located in stationary guides. The adapters are advantageously designed in a uniform manner so that they do not have to be allocated only to a specific borehole. Furthermore, uniformly designed adapters may be used to fix components having different contours.
The guides are preferably configured as through-boreholes, which extend through the component carrier from a front mounting surface to a rear carrier surface. This simplifies the insertion or the positioning of the adapters in particular. In doing so, the adapters can be moved continuously in the guides so that it is possible to mount components having a variety of geometries virtually independently of the progression of the mounting surface.
At the same time, however, this exemplary embodiment also permits use with components having a component surface whose contour is close to the mounting surface, because the adapters are able to be positioned in the guides in such a way that they terminate flush with it.
The adapters may have a cylindrical outer circumference and thereby a cup-like cross section for example. They preferably have an outside diameter which is smaller than an inside diameter of the guides or boreholes so that a crescent or annular gap is formed between the adapters and the borehole walls, which permits excess adhesive to be accommodated and thereby makes circumferential-side adhesion of the adapters to the component carrier possible.
However, the adapters may also each have a cylindrical body, which can be brought into abutment with the component surface so it seals. To supply the adhesive to the adhesive surface and to the respective borehole wall, these adapters have an appropriately designed internal channel system. It is possible to manufacture these types of adapters simply as plastic injection molded parts.
It is possible to release the component from the component carrier or eject the adapters so that the component is protected if at least one ejector element is provided that can be pressed against a rear face of the adapters. In doing so, reduced force can be used for ejection if, as in the case of one exemplary embodiment, a heating element is integrated into the ejector element by means of which the hardened adhesive can be weakened prior to ejection. The heating element may emit microwaves or UV radiation for example, or develop an appropriate magnetic field. Furthermore, the radiation required for release may be introduced into the adhesive gap by means of an external radiation source, e.g., by means of UV rays or a microwave transmitter.
Releasing the component from the component carrier or ejecting the adapters can be simplified considerably if the adapters are configured as disposable elements, which can be destroyed during ejection. By doing so, a cleaning of the adapters is eliminated in particular. However, the adapters may also be designed as reusable multi-use elements that are consequently not destroyed during the releasing process.
In the case of a method according to the invention for mounting a component on a component carrier by means of an adhesive, e.g., a radiation-hardenable adhesive or a 2-component-based adhesive, the component is first of all positioned in relation to the component carrier. Then a local adhesive gap is adjusted between a respective adapter inserted into a guide of the component carrier and the component. Then the adhesive is hardened to produce an adhesive bond. After the adhesive hardens, the component is firmly connected to the component carrier and may be processed appropriately. This method allows precise, secure and quick fixation of the component in relation to the component carrier, because it is possible to equalize geometric differences between a mounting surface of the component carrier and an opposing component surface by means of the adapters so that, despite the fact that the contours of the mounting surface and the component surface lack conformity, it is possible to fix the component in relation to or on the component carrier via a plurality of optimum adhesive gaps.
In the case of one exemplary embodiment, the adhesive is filled into the guides prior to insertion of the adapters into the guides. When inserting the respective adapter, the adhesive is distributed to the appropriate adhesive regions between the adapters and the component as well as between the adapters and the component carrier. In the case of another exemplary embodiment, the adhesive is applied on the front side to the adapters prior to insertion of the adapters into the boreholes. The adapters may be inserted fully automatically, partially automatically or manually.
In the case of another exemplary embodiment, the adhesive is distributed via an internal channel system of the adapters inserted into the guides, which allows the adhesive to be applied in an especially targeted and metered manner. In doing so, the respective adapter is preferably inserted in the borehole up to the component surface and forms a seal there to keep the adhesive from running. The adapter is supported laterally on the borehole wall and the adhesive supply is increased until the channel system has disposed an adequate amount of adhesive at the predetermined regions between the respective adapter and the component carrier as well as the adapter and the component. In the process, the supply of adhesive may take place continuously or discontinuously, e.g., a drop at a time.
The component is preferably released via break-away of the adapters by means of an ejector element, which engages on a rear face of the adapters. In the case of one exemplary embodiment, in order to reduce the ejection force, the adhesive may be weakened via a preferably integral heating element of the ejector element. In doing so, according to one exemplary embodiment, the adapters may be destroyed during ejection thereby eliminating corresponding cleaning measures for reusing the adapters. Ejection may take place fully automatically, partially automatically or manually.
Other advantageous exemplary embodiments of the present invention are the subject matter of additional dependent claims.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained in greater detail in the following.